What Is Organic Food Farming?

Organic food is grown by a system of agriculture that aims to balance productivity with low vulnerability to problems such as pest infestation and environmental degradation, and maintaining the quality of the land for future generations.

In practice this involves a farming system that avoids, or largely excludes, the use of synthetically compounded fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators, livestock, feed additives and other harmful or potentially harmful substances. It includes the use of technologies such as crop rotations, mechanical cultivations and biological pest control; and fertiliser materials, such as legumes, crop residues, composted animal manures, green manures, other organic wastes and mineral bearing rocks. The intention is to encourage natural biological systems, linking soil, plants, animals, food, people and the environment.

Standards to achieve this are internationally recognised, and are assured through annual audits of all certified operators by an independent third party auditor. In Australia there are three main (govt. accredited) certifying organizations:  N.A.S.A.A. (National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Aust), B.F.A. (Biological Farmers of Australia), & Bio Dynamic Research Institute (Demeter).

- Living soil is the basis of the organic farm. Management practices are designed to sustain soil health and fertility using natural organic materials.
- The concept is that vigorous plants resist insects, weeds and diseases better than those under stress due to repeated chemical applications.
- Encouragement of biodiversity by working with nature to create a diverse farm ecosystem, and optimal growing conditions.
- Use of natural methods of pest, disease and weed control. The field is a bug eat bug world, in which a "natural enemy complex" of predator and parasite insects keep pests in check.
- Pest infestations are seen as messengers of fields out of balance, rather than signals for chemical spray programs.
- Walking the fields to catch potential problems early, and substituting hand labour for chemical solutions.
- Enhancement of the landscape, wildlife and wildlife habitat, and low levels of environmental pollution.
- High standards of animal welfare.
- Prohibition of all genetically engineered food and products.
- Because the majority of the agricultural industry equates organic methods with assured losses in yields, an assumption that is untrue, the most difficult task these farmers face is not in growing, but in finding financing or direct markets for their crops.

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